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Walking Through Time Before You Even Enter: Lessons from Rancho Los Cerritos At Rancho Los Cerritos, a simple entrance walkway doubles as a timeline—orienting visitors before they even arrive. It’s a reminder that interpretation can begin outside the museum and that clarity, restraint, and design can shape the entire visitor experience from the first step.

At Rancho Los Cerritos, a simple entrance walkway doubles as a timeline—orienting visitors before they even arrive. It’s a reminder that interpretation can begin outside the museum and that clarity, restraint, and design can shape the entire visitor experience from the first step.

3 weeks ago 0 0 0 0

When Contemporary Art Actually Works: Lessons from the Gamble House Japanese baskets from 20 years ago feel at home in a house that's a century older. A growing number of historic house museums are experimenting with contemporary art exhibitions to attract new—and especially younger—audiences. The logic is understandable: align with what feels current and visible, generate social media buzz, and compensate for the decline of traditional media coverage. But too often, these exhibitions feel short-lived and disconnected.

Contemporary art at historic sites often feels disconnected—but the Gamble House gets it right. By aligning Japanese bamboo basketry with Arts & Crafts values, the exhibition enhances rather than competes. A model for thoughtful, mission-driven integration.

4 weeks ago 1 0 0 0

A Luxury Art Club Reveals What Museum Membership Could Look Like Membership levels for The Cultivist start at $440 per year and by invitation, you can join at the $15,000 level. A few weeks ago I came across The Cultivist, a private membership program that promises art lovers “insider access” to the global art world. The club offers members free or priority admission to dozens of museums, invitations to special events, tailored trips to art fairs and biennials, and behind-the-scenes experiences with artists, collectors, and curators.

At first glance, The Cultivist makes me uneasy. It’s not a museum membership but a global art-world concierge offering curated access to museums, studios, and fairs. Yet its success highlights something museums rarely package: guidance. If we don’t help audiences navigate culture, someone else will.

1 month ago 0 0 0 0

AASLH’s Workforce Report: Redesign the Field—or Just Endure It? AASLH has released Understanding the Public History Workforce, a major new study examining who works in history organizations and how they experience their jobs. Read on its own, it offers important insights into burnout, compensation, inclusion, and professional climate. But its full significance becomes clearer when placed alongside two earlier field-wide studies: the National Museum Salary Survey (AAM, 2017) and the…

AASLH's new Workforce Report confirms an ongoing tension: history practitioners feel deep purpose yet real frustration. That duality mirrors other mission-driven fields like teaching and healthcare—but in history organizations it’s intensified by small-institution economics and complex governance.

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Using AI on a 500-Year-Old Page Changes Where Curatorial Expertise Begins I bought the box for $30. It was a brown cardboard box at a local auction filled with framed prints and miscellaneous ephemera. The sort of lot you bid on partly out of curiosity and partly because, if you’re lucky, you might discover something interesting. I did—it was a framed page from a 500-year-old German book. As a historian, I enjoy reading.

Using AI on a 500-Year-Old Page Changes Where Curatorial Expertise Begins

I bought the box for $30. It was a brown cardboard box at a local auction filled with framed prints and miscellaneous ephemera. The sort of lot you bid on partly out of curiosity and partly because, if you’re lucky, you…

1 month ago 0 0 0 0

Reimagining the Historic House Museum coming to Nashville in July Ken Turino introducing the Reimagining House Museum workshop at Bayou Bend, Houston, 2025. In July, Ken Turino and I will be leading the one-day Reimagining the Historic House Museum workshop on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery in Nashville, Tennessee. It's designed specifically for people working at house museums and historic sites who are wrestling with familiar questions: How do we refresh our programs?

Reimagining the Historic House Museum coming to Nashville in July

Ken Turino introducing the Reimagining House Museum workshop at Bayou Bend, Houston, 2025. In July, Ken Turino and I will be leading the one-day Reimagining the Historic House Museum workshop on Friday, July 10, 2026, at Belle Meade…

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The Question Most Students Overlook About Museum Internships Most students search for internships by looking for a museum.Instead they should be looking for a mentor. In the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University, I advise about 40 students every year, which includes a required internship. Students are excited to get into the field, so they want to obtain their internship as quickly as possible. However, in the process, they often overlook the most important aspect.

The Question Most Students Overlook About Museum Internships

Most students search for internships by looking for a museum.Instead they should be looking for a mentor. In the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University, I advise about 40 students every year, which includes a required…

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

Public Writing as Interpretation: Advice from the Editor of Public Humanities One of the most important roles museums play is sharing scholarship with the public—and it’s also one of the hardest. We are often asked to interpret complex events that unfolded over decades and involved many people, and in the process we rely on shorthand that makes sense to other scholars but not always to our visitors. Words like contextualize, …

Public Writing as Interpretation: Advice from the Editor of Public Humanities

One of the most important roles museums play is sharing scholarship with the public—and it’s also one of the hardest. We are often asked to interpret complex events that unfolded over decades and involved many people,…

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

From Sites to Stories: Using ESRI StoryMaps to Interpret Women’s History in Washington, DC Digital tools do not automatically produce meaningful interpretation. What they can do—when used with discipline—is force clarity about audience, theme, and purpose. This is why I have begun using ESRI ArcGIS StoryMaps as a core interpretive platform in my graduate course CMST6307: Interpretation of Historic Sites at George Washington University. This fall, students were commissioned—within a realistic professional scenario—to create…

From Sites to Stories: Using ESRI StoryMaps to Interpret Women’s History in Washington, DC

Digital tools do not automatically produce meaningful interpretation. What they can do—when used with discipline—is force clarity about audience, theme, and purpose. This is why I have begun using ESRI…

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

How Emerging Museum Professionals View Community Engagement in Museums Learning about the vision and resources of the GW Museum. End-of-semester reflections often confirm what instructors suspect but rarely see so clearly. Read together, the reflections from my course CMST 6703: Museums and Community Engagement at George Washington University offer a useful window into how emerging museum professionals are learning to connect the theory of community engagement with its day-to-day practice.

How Emerging Museum Professionals View Community Engagement in Museums

Learning about the vision and resources of the GW Museum. End-of-semester reflections often confirm what instructors suspect but rarely see so clearly. Read together, the reflections from my course CMST 6703: Museums and…

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

EngagingPlaces.net at 15: What the Numbers Say In 2026, EngagingPlaces.net marks its 15th anniversary. What began in 2011 as a modest professional blog has grown into a widely used resource for history museum and historic site professionals working at the intersection of interpretation, engagement, sustainability, and leadership. The numbers tell part of the story. In 2011, the site received 1,108 visitors—mostly colleagues and friends in the field. In 2025, …

EngagingPlaces.net at 15: What the Numbers Say

In 2026, EngagingPlaces.net marks its 15th anniversary. What began in 2011 as a modest professional blog has grown into a widely used resource for history museum and historic site professionals working at the intersection of interpretation,…

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

From Standards to Spectrums: Why Museum Practice Is Better Understood as a Matrix One of the things I keep returning to in my teaching and consulting is how much museum work actually lives along a spectrum—not in binary terms of success or failure, right or wrong, compliant or noncompliant. This is one of the persistent challenges of working with professional standards. Standards are essential. They articulate shared values, define public trust, and help the field hold itself accountable.

From Standards to Spectrums: Why Museum Practice Is Better Understood as a Matrix

One of the things I keep returning to in my teaching and consulting is how much museum work actually lives along a spectrum—not in binary terms of success or failure, right or wrong, compliant or noncompliant. This…

3 months ago 0 0 0 0

When Oversight Becomes Bullying: Lessons from the Smithsonian In December 2025, the White House sent a letter to the Smithsonian Institution requesting extensive documentation related to exhibitions, educational materials, internal processes, and collections. The request followed an earlier directive tied to an executive order and was framed as part of federal oversight. In principle, this kind of oversight is not only appropriate—it is necessary. The President and senior staff have a responsibility to ensure that federally-funded institutions are operating effectively and that public resources are protected from waste, fraud, or abuse.

When Oversight Becomes Bullying: Lessons from the Smithsonian

In December 2025, the White House sent a letter to the Smithsonian Institution requesting extensive documentation related to exhibitions, educational materials, internal processes, and collections. The request followed an earlier…

3 months ago 0 0 0 0

What Emerging Museum Managers Are Learning—and Why It Matters to the Field Discussing current management issues in museums. Graduate students recently finishing an introductory course in museum management with me at George Washington University offered useful insights to the field. Their end-of-semester reflections reveal where emerging professionals are gaining traction, where they’re still uncertain, and what this means for museums and nonprofits navigating an increasingly complex landscape. What’s clicking A clear shift is underway in how new professionals understand museums.

What Emerging Museum Managers Are Learning—and Why It Matters to the Field

Discussing current management issues in museums. Graduate students recently finishing an introductory course in museum management with me at George Washington University offered useful insights to the field. Their…

3 months ago 0 0 0 0

A History Podcast Wins Big—And Offers Clues for Museums’ Future Apple Podcasts recently named The Rest is History its Podcast of the Year, and in a December 4 interview on In Conversation from Apple News, hosts Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland reflected on why history is resonating so strongly today. Sandbrook argues that despite assumptions, young people are deeply interested in the past—provided it is presented through compelling stories and vivid characters.

A History Podcast Wins Big—And Offers Clues for Museums’ Future

Apple Podcasts recently named The Rest is History its Podcast of the Year, and in a December 4 interview on In Conversation from Apple News, hosts Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland reflected on why history is resonating so strongly…

4 months ago 0 0 0 0

New Guide: Writing Professional Memos for Museum Work Over the years, I’ve noticed something consistent in my museum management courses: graduate students are well-prepared to write academic papers, but many struggle when asked to write professional memos—the format that museum directors, CEOs, and board members actually read. This isn’t a flaw in their abilities; it’s a mismatch between what universities traditionally teach and what museums need. Academic writing is designed to demonstrate thinking.

New Guide: Writing Professional Memos for Museum Work

Over the years, I’ve noticed something consistent in my museum management courses: graduate students are well-prepared to write academic papers, but many struggle when asked to write professional memos—the format that museum directors, CEOs,…

5 months ago 0 0 0 0

Eight Ways to Engage Visitors at Museums and Historic Sites Move beyond what we tell visitors to what they actually do—and discover how eight types of experiences can deepen learning and meaning. When we think about interpretation in museums and historic sites, we often focus on what we want to say—the stories, facts, and insights that bring history to life. But what if we focused instead on what visitors do…

Eight Ways to Engage Visitors at Museums and Historic Sites

Move beyond what we tell visitors to what they actually do—and discover how eight types of experiences can deepen learning and meaning. When we think about interpretation in museums and historic sites, we often focus on what we want to…

5 months ago 0 0 0 0

When “Accuracy” Means Ideology: A Closer Look at the Heritage Foundation’s Historic Sites Guide The Heritage Foundation’s new The Heritage Guide to Historic Sites: Rediscovering America's Heritage promises to help Americans find “accurate” and “unbiased” history at presidential homes and national landmarks. Presented as a travel and education tool for the nation’s 250th anniversary, the site grades historic places from A to C for “accuracy” and “ideological bias.” At first glance, it looks like a public service.

When “Accuracy” Means Ideology: A Closer Look at the Heritage Foundation’s Historic Sites Guide

The Heritage Foundation’s new The Heritage Guide to Historic Sites: Rediscovering America's Heritage promises to help Americans find “accurate” and “unbiased” history at presidential homes and national…

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Bold Ideas, Thin Evidence: Reading the Jenrette Report with Caution and Curiosity The Jenrette Foundation’s State of American Historic Preservation Education (September 2025) lands like a wake-up call for our field. At more than 25 pages, it’s not just a summary of trends in preservation education—it’s a challenge to rethink what we mean by “historic preservation” altogether. Although the report focuses on universities and training programs, its insights are strikingly relevant for leaders at historic sites and house museums.

Bold Ideas, Thin Evidence: Reading the Jenrette Report with Caution and Curiosity

The Jenrette Foundation’s State of American Historic Preservation Education (September 2025) lands like a wake-up call for our field. At more than 25 pages, it’s not just a summary of trends in preservation…

6 months ago 2 0 0 0

From Julia Child to Lowriders: Interpreting History at the Smithsonian on the Eve of a Shutdown Although the federal government shutdown has started, the Smithsonian museums will remain open at least through Monday, October 6. Despite the media's attention on 12:01 am on October 1, shutdowns don't happen immediately because stopping a huge bureaucracy takes time, plus each agency has to determine who will be furloughed and who is essential—that's why air traffic controllers keep working at airports but not educators at museums.

From Julia Child to Lowriders: Interpreting History at the Smithsonian on the Eve of a Shutdown

Although the federal government shutdown has started, the Smithsonian museums will remain open at least through Monday, October 6. Despite the media's attention on 12:01 am on October 1, shutdowns don't…

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Navigating Community Engagement in Museums in a Charged Political Climate I attended a timely and thought-provoking session at this year’s AASLH Annual Meeting called Bridging Divides: Navigating Challenging Histories Through Community Engagement on September 13. It gathered five panelists—Angela O’Neal, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus, OH; Rebecca Asmo, Ohio Humanities, Columbus, OH; Jason Crabill, Decorative Arts Center of Ohio, Lancaster, OH; Kaitlyn Donaldson, Lorain Historical Society, Lorain, OH; Doreen Uhas-Sauer, Rickenbacker Woods Foundation, Columbus, OH—who shared practical advice for how museums and historic sites can continue doing meaningful work in an era of heightened scrutiny, political pressure, and declining trust.

Navigating Community Engagement in Museums in a Charged Political Climate

I attended a timely and thought-provoking session at this year’s AASLH Annual Meeting called Bridging Divides: Navigating Challenging Histories Through Community Engagement on September 13. It gathered five panelists—Angela…

6 months ago 0 0 0 0

Exploring the Over the Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. First stop the Music Hall, founded by an all-woman board. #AASLH2025

7 months ago 2 0 0 0

Peel-and-Replace Signage: A Durable and Flexible Alternative for Outdoor Interpretation A large interpretive sign at Kinderdjik in the Netherlands. On a recent trip to Europe, I encountered one of the most durable yet inexpensive approaches to outdoor signage I’ve seen: printed sheet vinyl applied to thin aluminum laminate panels, typically 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. These signs can be cut into custom shapes, mounted to walls or posts, and grouped together to present text in digestible sections.

Peel-and-Replace Signage: A Durable and Flexible Alternative for Outdoor Interpretation

A large interpretive sign at Kinderdjik in the Netherlands. On a recent trip to Europe, I encountered one of the most durable yet inexpensive approaches to outdoor signage I’ve seen: printed sheet vinyl applied…

7 months ago 1 0 0 0

Heading to Cincinnati for AASLH—Will You Be There? This week I’m heading to Cincinnati for the American Association for State and Local History’s Annual Meeting—and I couldn’t be more excited. After a couple of years of scheduling conflicts that kept me away, I’m very much looking forward to reconnecting with colleagues and friends from across the country. If you’ll be there, I hope to see you at the…

Heading to Cincinnati for AASLH—Will You Be There?

This week I’m heading to Cincinnati for the American Association for State and Local History’s Annual Meeting—and I couldn’t be more excited. After a couple of years of scheduling conflicts that kept me away, I’m very much looking forward to…

7 months ago 0 0 0 0

Job Fairs: A New Public Program for Museums? This fall, the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University is joining forces again with the History and Art History Departments to offer a Museums+ Internship Fair. Now in its second year, the fair connects undergraduate and graduate students with a wide range of museum and history internship opportunities in the DC area. For a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon, students will gather in the atrium of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design to meet representatives from dozens of institutions—including the National Gallery of Art, Hillwood Estate, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Supreme Court of the United States, White House Historical Association, and many more.

Job Fairs: A New Public Program for Museums?

This fall, the Museum Studies Program at George Washington University is joining forces again with the History and Art History Departments to offer a Museums+ Internship Fair. Now in its second year, the fair connects undergraduate and graduate students…

7 months ago 0 0 0 0

Reimagining Historic House Museums: Two Workshops Coming Up! House museums across the country are confronting difficult questions about relevance, sustainability, and meaning in the 21st century. What worked twenty years ago—traditional tours, decorative arts displays, and carefully preserved interiors—often isn’t enough today to engage visitors or generate financial stability. Communities are changing, audiences have new expectations, and historic sites are under increasing pressure to demonstrate their value. That’s why Ken Turino (formerly at Historic New England) and I developed…

Reimagining Historic House Museums: Two Workshops Coming Up!

House museums across the country are confronting difficult questions about relevance, sustainability, and meaning in the 21st century. What worked twenty years ago—traditional tours, decorative arts displays, and carefully preserved…

8 months ago 0 0 0 0

What Happens When a Museum Asks Questions Instead of Giving Answers? Köln City Museum In March 2024, the Cologne City Museum (Kölnisches Stadt Museum) in Germany reopened in an unexpected setting: a former luxury department store in the heart of the city's shopping district. The museum has been around since 1888, but a 2017 water leak forced it out of its former location. Its latest incarnation takes a bold new approach to presenting the city's history, promoting itself with “Cologne: A New Narrative.”

What Happens When a Museum Asks Questions Instead of Giving Answers?

Köln City Museum In March 2024, the Cologne City Museum (Kölnisches Stadt Museum) in Germany reopened in an unexpected setting: a former luxury department store in the heart of the city's shopping district. The museum has been…

8 months ago 0 0 0 0

Mapping Slavery in Amsterdam: Reflections on a Heritage Guidebook During a recent trip to the Netherlands, I picked up a copy of Amsterdam Slavery Heritage Guide (Gids Slavernijverleden Amsterdam) , the second extended edition published in 2018. Although it’s been around for nearly a decade, this was my first encounter with it—and I’m glad I made the discovery. As someone interested in the interpretation of African American history and culture, as well as city guides, I found it to be a compelling model for documenting and acknowledging slavery’s legacy in public spaces.

Mapping Slavery in Amsterdam: Reflections on a Heritage Guidebook

During a recent trip to the Netherlands, I picked up a copy of Amsterdam Slavery Heritage Guide (Gids Slavernijverleden Amsterdam) , the second extended edition published in 2018. Although it’s been around for nearly a decade, this…

8 months ago 0 0 0 0

A Clever, Adjustable Book Cradle at the Folger Library Rare book nerds, this post is for you. During a recent research visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, I came across an ingenious book cradle designed in-house by the paper conservators. It’s a simple yet sophisticated solution for supporting large or heavy bound volumes without stressing their spines—especially helpful for researchers working with oversized books in the reading room.

A Clever, Adjustable Book Cradle at the Folger Library

Rare book nerds, this post is for you. During a recent research visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, I came across an ingenious book cradle designed in-house by the paper conservators. It’s a simple yet sophisticated…

9 months ago 0 0 0 0

Designing for Impact: Why Reflection Should Be at the Heart of Your Museum Experience In today's fast-moving, attention-fragmented world, museums are under pressure to do more than just deliver content--they need to make it stick. Whether it's an online program, a guided tour, or an immersive performance, professionals are increasingly asking: How do we create experiences that matter? Three recent studies point to a clear answer: if you want to deepen impact, design for reflection…

Designing for Impact: Why Reflection Should Be at the Heart of Your Museum Experience

In today's fast-moving, attention-fragmented world, museums are under pressure to do more than just deliver content--they need to make it stick. Whether it's an online program, a guided tour, or an immersive…

9 months ago 0 0 0 0

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